Interlocking tie-plate for rails.



A. L. GOLE.

INTBRLOGKING TIE PLATE FOR RAILS.

APPLJOATION FILED DEO. 2, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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UNTED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. COLE, OF AUBURNDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANCIS J. V. DAKIN, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERLOCKING TIE-PLATE FOR RAILS.

To all wom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. CoLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburndale, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Interlocking Tie-Plate for Rails, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tie plates for railroad rails.

In the operation of railroads considerable ditliculty is experienced in tying the rails to sleepers so that the rails will not become displaced either laterally or longitudinally by use. The lateral displacement of rails, commonly termed spreading, and the longitudinal displacement of rails, known as creeping, are frequent causes of derailment of trains; These displacements are due to various causes such as strain exerted by locomotives and trains going around curves at high speed, poor road-beds, the application of brakes on grades and in other ways.

The Object of this invention is to provide a tie plate for looking the rail to a sleeper to prevent either lateral or longitudinal movement of the rail.

Another Object of the invention is to provide a tie plate of such construction that the weight of the train upon the rail serves to look the tie plate more securely and thereby to increase the holding power of the same.

A further Object is to provide a tie plate of low cost and simple construction which can be easily applied and easily removed.

Broadly, my invention comprises a tie plate made up of two gripping clamps, each provided with means 'for penetrating the sleeper and with means for engaging and holding firmly the foot of the rail, and a frame surrounding said clamps to hold the same against movement in any direction.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a view of a tie plate constructed in accordance with my invention showing the frame in section, the gripping clamps in side elevation and one end of a rail resting upon the gripping clamps before the same are forced into an operative locking position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the rail and gripping clamps in their final operative position and showing the ,frame spiked to the sleeper; Fig. 3 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 2, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913. Ser'ial No. 734,483.

plan view of a rail and tie plate in operative position, the parts being broken away to show the construction; and Fig. 4: is a view in perspective of a gripping clamp.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention 5 designates a railroad rail of usual construction and 6 a sleeper. The tie plate comprises a frame 7, preferably rectangular in plan and having a central space to receive two gripping clamps 8. Each clamp is provided at one end with an upwardly and inwardly curved flange 9 and at the other end with downwardly projecting sharpened points 10. The clamps are of such size as to fit closely within the space on the frame 7, so that when the clamps are in position within the frame there can be no lateral movement without moving the frame.

In applying my tie plate to a rail the sleeper is first hollowed out a suflicient depth to receive the frame, as the tie plate is designed to be applied to every fifth or sixth tie. `After the sleeper has been prepared, the frame is then placed in position and the two gripping clamps are placed within the frame in the position shown in Fig. 1. The rail is then placed upon the clamps, as also shown in Fig. 1, and if the weight of the rail is not sufticient to drive the clamps downwardly and to cause the points to penetrate the sleeper, then they may be driven down by Striking the rail with a hammer or otherwise. After the gripping clamps are driven into their final position, the frame may then be spiked to the sleeper by spikes 11 placed either on the sides or ends of the frame or at any suitable points. The frame is pro.- vided with suitable recesses 12 to receive the shanks of the spikes. Fig. 2 shows the relative position of the rail, gripping clamps and frame when in a final operative position.

In order that the rail may be locked within'the gripping' clamps when they are in a final operative position, the flanges 9 are curved inwardly, this curvature not being great enough to prevent the rail dropping in between the fianges of the two gripping clamps when being adjusted. At the same 1 time, in order that the clamps may fit tightly within the frame and may be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 without loo-sening the same within the' frame, the end surface 13 of the pointed end of each gripping clamp is curved, said curve being centered at about the point 14 which is a Constant point. By means of this construction the two gripping clamps are in contact at all times when being moved from one position to another.

In order to remove a tie plate the spikes 11 are drawn, the frame 7 lifted up and the clamps and rail lifted by means of a crowbar. After the points have been disengaged from the sleeper the rail may then be removed from the clamps.

It is to be observed that my tie plate, when in final operative position, is locked to the sleeper by means of downwardly projecting points 10 and that the foot of the rail is held tightly within the flanges 9. Furthermore, and this is an important feature of my invention, when the rail is depressed by the weight of a train passing over it, the clamps are pressed downwardly into the sleeper to a further extent if that is possible, throwing the flanges 9 inwardly and thereby causing them to tighten their grip upon the rail. In short my tie plate operates to lock the rail more firmly in position against either lateral or longitudinal movement when a train is passing over it; that is, at the tine when the rail would ordinarily be moved either laterally or longitudinally, and the greater the weight on the rail the more firmly the tie plate grips the same.

It will further be noticed that my tie plate is of very simple construction and can be manufactured at a very lo-w cost and applied and removed with great facility.

My invention may be embodied in other co-nstructions than that illustrated in the drawings and hereinbefore described and l desire to claim it broadly except where specifically limited in the following claims.

What I claim is 1. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising a frame and two clamps within said frame but not secured thereto, each of said clamps having, at its outer end, means for gripping a rail.

2. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising two gripping clamps, each of said clamps being provided with means on one end for gripping the foot of a rail and with means on the other end for penetrating a sleeper, and a frame for holding said clamps in operative position.

3. A tie plate for'railroad rails comprising a frame and two gripping clamps being provided at one end with means for gripping the foot of a rail, and with means on the other end for penetrating a sleeper.

i. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising a frame and two clamps fitting within said frame but not secured thereto, each of said clamps having a flange for gripping the foot of a rail.

5. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising two gripping clamps each of said clamps having a fiange at one end for gripping the foot of a rail and with means at the other end for penetrating a sleeper, and a frame for holding said clamps against displacement.

6. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising a frame and two gripping members fitting within said frame, each of said membei-s being provided with an upwardly and inwardly curving flange which grips the foot of a rail when in operative position.

7 A tie plate fo-r railroad rails comprising two gripping clamps, each o-f said clamps being provided at one end with means to engage and grip the foot of a rail and at the other end with downwardly projecting points to penetrate a sleeper, and a frame for holding said clamps against displacement.

8. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising a frame and two clamps, each having an inwardly Curved flange, for gripping a rail between said flanges; the curvature of said flanges being such that their grip on the rail is increased by the increase of weight upon the rail.

9. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising a. frame having spike holes for securing it to a sleeper and two clamps fitting within said frame but not attached thereto, each of said clamps having at its outer end means for gripping a rail and having its inner end where it engages the other clamp Curved; thereby permitting the clamps to be moved pivotally in a vertical direction wit-hin said frame around their outer ends as pivots.

10. The combination with a rail and a sleeper of a frame between the rail and sleeper and two clamps within said frame, each of said clamps having its outer end provided with means for gripping the foot of the rail, and its inner end engaging the inner end of the other clamp under said rail.

11. The combination with a rail and a sleeper of a frame between the rail and sleeper and two clamps within said frame, each of said clamps having its outer end provided with an inwardly curved flange for gripping the foot of said rail and its inner end provided with a depending point to penetrate the said sleeper.

12. The combination with a rail and a sleeper of a frame mounted between the said rail and 'said sleeper and means within said frame for holding` the rail against lateral and longitudinal movement.

13. 'The combination with a rail and a sleeper of a frame mounted between them and having a Central space and means within said space for gripping the foot of said rail to prevent lateral and longitudinal movement of the same; said gripping means being so arranged that its grip upon the rail is increased by an increase of weight on the rail.

14. The combination with a rail anda sleeper of a frame secured to said sleeper underneath said rail and having a Central space and tWo gripping clamps mounted in said space and under said rail, each of said clamps having an upwardly and inwardly curved fiange at its outer end which grips the foot of the said rail and a depending point at its inner end which penetrates the said sleeper, the inner and engaging faces of the tWo clamps being Curved to permit the clamps to be moved pvotally in a vertical direction around their outer ends as pivots.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 15 Witnesses, this the thirteth day of Novembei', 1912.

ALBERT L. COLE.

Witnesses:

E. F. UNIAC, CHARLES F. RICHARDSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

